Alarming new research by Hourglass Northern Ireland reveals that the abuse of older people comes last in line for government and the public alike

To coincide with Safer Ageing Week Hourglass, the only charity in Northern Ireland focused on tackling the abuse and neglect of older people, has examined the profile and priority given to the issue by the UK Government and the public over the last year.

Stark findings highlight how the public don’t consider the abuse of older people – and more staggeringly - those in power, responsible for safeguarding, have given no mention of abuse towards older people across the past year, even after living through a pandemic and the public are unaware of levels of abuse in the UK. The charity’s study found:

• Only 11% of people in Northern Ireland think of older adults (65+) when they think of victims of abuse. 25% of people think of animals
• People in Northern Ireland woefully underestimate the number of older people who experience abuse – not one person surveyed thought the number of UK victims reaches over 2.5m every year.
• Just over a tenth of people (14%) thought there were only 10% (250,000) of the actual number of older people experiencing abuse each year
• A 2020 poll by Hourglass showed there were over 68,000 older victims of abuse in Northern Ireland
• The UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel and the two ministers responsible for safeguarding didn’t mention the abuse of older people once in any of their official ministerial speeches, papers or on Twitter
• The Prime Minister, Downing Street, the Home Office and the Department of Justice didn’t mention the abuse of older people once on Twitter
• Hansard recorded mentions of the abuse of older people 35 times in Parliament compared to 3603 mentions for domestic abuse, 746 mentions for child abuse and 915 mentions for fox hunting
• The abuse of older people was mentioned just 9 times in debates in all Parliaments and all those mentions were in the House of Lords or the Scottish Parliament. There wasn’t a single mention in the House of Commons by Ministers or MPs
• The abuse of older people was mentioned 4,500 times on Twitter compared to over half a million mentions for domestic abuse
• People tweeted about animal abuse nearly 6 times as much as they tweeted about the abuse of older people
• Grouse shooting was mentioned on Twitter nearly four times as often, fox hunting nearly 20 times as often and parking nearly 30 times as often

The research, compiled in a report called “Last in Line” is stark in its findings and shows just how little profile and priority the issue has in government and for the public.

It also established that there currently isn’t a single source of statutory funding in Northern Ireland with ring-fenced resources to tackle the abuse of older people. Hourglass noted no funding has been allocated to this issue specifically since 2016.

Commenting about the research, Hourglass CEO Richard Robinson said:

“It’s shameful that an issue that affects a million older people a year is given so little attention by ministers, politicians and the general public. Rightly, other forms of abuse like child abuse and domestic violence have a high profile but it is unbelievable that a niche issue like grouse shooting gets so much more attention than the abuse of older people.”

 

“We urgently need to push the issue forward from last in line and sound the alarm for the impact it is having on older people and those who care for them. Even since the pandemic, major public and government funding have forgotten the 2.7 million older victims of abuse and neglect every year in the UK.

 

“We want to join forces with our peers in the abuse sector, be given the same significance and urgency and end time on all forms of abuse and neglect. Without dedicated resources, we are only going to see the problem worsen and end up with many more older people experiencing or being at risk of abuse.”

Responding to the research, Carla Lockhart DUP MP for Upper Bann has launched an Early Day Motion in the UK Parliament supporting Safer Ageing Week, she said:

“Hourglass NI is dealing with 13 live cases of abuse and neglect and the charity receives over 8,000 calls a year. However, the subject seems to be almost off the radar across all UK legislatures and lacks profile amongst the general public.

 

“I would strongly urge all of my colleagues across the Parliaments, Assemblies and Senates to look at supporting Safer Ageing Week and consider our role in creating real change in this vital and growing subject area. Hourglass NI is unique in dealing with this issue and this study casts a damning light on attitudes.”

Hourglass commissioned the research to highlight just how low a priority tackling this form of abuse is during Safer Ageing Week. It is calling for:

• A national campaign to raise public awareness of the issue and increase the public’s support for tackling it
• The creation of a Safer Ageing Fund in Northern Ireland to tackle abuse and support safer ageing for older people across the UK this could include specific funding from bodies like Comic Relief, National Lottery etc.
• Abuse and neglect of older people to be given equal significance within the sector

ENDS
Notes to editors
ABOUT HOURGLASS:
Hourglass the only charity in Northern Ireland focused on the abuse and neglect of older people whose mission is simple: end the harm, abuse and exploitation of older people.
The charity has nearly 30 years’ experience as Action on Elder Abuse and over that time its work has touched tens of thousands of people, shaped government policy and amplified the issue in national press.
The charity staffs a free-to-call helpline which is a lifeline for older men, women and their families suffering from the five forms of abuse: physical, psychological, financial, sexual or neglect.